


To Slytherin

by BarkImAFish



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Child Neglect, Dark Magic, Demonic Possession, Depressed Eddie Brock, Family Drama, Hogwarts, Hogwarts First Year, Hufflepuff, Kid Eddie Brock, Magic, POV Eddie Brock, POV Third Person, Protective Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Slytherin, you don't really need to know venom to understand this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-04 08:18:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17301122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarkImAFish/pseuds/BarkImAFish
Summary: Eddie Brock was born without magical abilities, but he's determined to do whatever it takes to get to Hogwarts and please his parents.I had this idea to put Marvel characters in Hogwarts after watching a Harry Potter movie marathon. With the help of my girlfriend's brilliant imagination, I've written the story of Eddie Brock and Venom with a magical twist. You don't need to have seen Venom (2018) to understand this fic.





	1. Chapter 1

Eddie hunched over to rest his chin in his hands. From his spot on a tree stump, he watched his cousins cut through the air on their broomsticks, tossing an old quaffle around. He hated family picnics: they were just another reminder of how powerless he was.

"Food's ready! Come and get it!" his uncle called.

At least I can get first dibs at the food, Eddie thought excitedly. He jumped up and began sprinting towards the savory smell of his aunt's newt stew. However, in the middle of his race back to the gathering, he felt the gusts of wind all around him, telling him that his cousins would get there before him.

Stupid brooms, Eddie cursed silently.

By the time he got to the table, his cousins had dismounted and ambushed the dinner plates. Eddie tried to poke his hand through the bodies to grab a bowl, but he was roughly pushed to the ground by one of the older boys.

"Squibs go last," the boy spit over his shoulder.

Before Eddie could process his surprise at the aggressive action, one of his uncles stepped over him. Not bothering to help his little nephew up off the ground, his uncle only gave a look of disgust. "Get up. You bring enough filth to this family without being covered in dirt."

Eddie couldn't stop his eyes from watering as he scrambled away from the group. He ran into the nearby woods, his face streaked with tears. He didn't stop running until he tripped, scraping his hands and knees on the woody forest floor. He curled into a ball, and his small body shook with sobs.

He hated his mother for telling everyone that he hadn't received a Hogwarts letter, but he hated himself even more for not deserving a letter in the first place. Why didn't he have magic? He was a disgrace.

When his crying faded, his self-hatred turned into motivation: he would get to Hogwarts whether the magical world wanted him there or not.

* * *

Three weeks later, Eddie watched his parents leave for some special dinner. They didn't say good-bye. They didn't say much of anything to their son these days. They hardly looked at him because every time they did, his mother began crying and his father's eyes darkened.

Eddie didn't care ‒the lack of parental attention gave him ample time for research.

Like every distinguished wizarding family, the Brock family had a library in their estate. From polished new books to faded scrolls, they had books of every topic. Luckily for Eddie, they also had a few volumes on some very dark magic. It hadn't taken the boy long to find what he was looking for.

Eddie ran to his room as soon as the front door clicked shut. He pulled an old book out from under his bed, flipping to the page that had been dog-eared. After skimming the instructions, he set out to work.

There wasn't much to do before the declaration, but Eddie knew that powerful, old magic was usually simpler than modern magic. First, he pushed the area rug against the wall. Then he pulled out a small container of black ink and a small pocketknife from his desk drawer. He inhaled sharply as he pressed the blade into his palm, drawing blood. After stirring his blood into the ink pot, he used it to draw the symbol in the book as large as he could on the hardwood floor. Standing over the intricate sign, he slowly began to read the ancient language from the leather-bound book. Over the past week, he had studied each word, marking the book with the correct pronunciation. The first declaration of a conjuring spell holds the most potential, so he wanted it to be perfect.

Halfway through, the temperature in the room suddenly dropped, bringing goosebumps to Eddie's skin. A few words later, the lights in his room blinked and blew out. Nevertheless, he continued.

As firmly as he could manage, Eddie shouted the final word.

Suddenly, a gust of wind pushed him forward into the center of the insignia with such force that his head smacked against the hardwood floor, knocking the boy unconscious.

When he woke up, the first thing he felt was the throbbing in his head from where it hit the ground. Without opening his eyes, he groaned and went to rub it, but stopped when he felt the dried blood on his palm.

**Sorry, I can fix that.**

Eddie's eyes snapped open. "Who is that?" He yelled into the darkness. "Where are you?!"

**I am Venom. You called for me.**

The book didn't say what would happen if the conjuring worked. Eddie wasn't sure what to do. "How come I can't see you?" he asked.

**I'm inside you, child. My power is too strong and volatile to exist independently.**

Eddie was quiet for a minute as his brain started making connections. Yes, this could work.

**What could work?**

"You can hear my thoughts?"

**Of course. Now, human child, it has been centuries since I have been released. Tell me, what is it that you want from me?**

"I want to go to Hogwarts. Can you give me enough magic to get to Hogwarts?"

**Enough magic to attend the wizarding school? Oh, I can give you that and so much more. However, there would be some conditions…**

Eddie sat up at this new information. He swallowed his excitement before he got ahead of himself. They could talk about a contract later. How could he be sure that his would work though?

**I can show you. Point to the light fixture in this room.**

Slowly, Eddie raised his hand towards his ceiling light. He felt movement from somewhere deep within himself. Then there was a crackling sound as the light flickered and re-lit, illuminating the dark room.

Eddie's mouth fell open in shock. Magic! His very own magic! He stared down at his hands. His own magic.

**Oh, let me fix that for you.**

Eddie's eyes widened in amazement as he felt warmth in the palm and his cut healed in seconds. "Thank you," Eddie whispered, remembering his manners.

**Of course.**

"So, you'll come with me to Hogwarts?"

**I haven't worked in centuries. It would be my pleasure to accompany you.**

Eddie jumped up, unable to contain his enthusiasm. "YES!" He hooted and jumped around his room. "I'm going to Hogwarts! I'll be best in my class and show my stupid cousins who's boss!"

**Since we're in an alliance now, will you tell me your name, child?**

"Eddie. My name is Eddie Brock."

**Hello, Eddie.**

Eddie laughed. "Nice to meet you, Venom!"

* * *

For the first time, Mrs. Brock cried tears of joy when Eddie received his invitation to attend Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry the next day. Eddie had been worried that his parents would sense the dark magic behind their son's eyes, but they hadn't noticed yet. Venom suggested that they would never notice, that they were more concerned with the family reputation than the source of magic.

Now, Eddie was out with his parents at Diagon Alley. They had him measured for new robes, selected his new textbooks, and even bought him some prank candies from the joke shop. Last on their list was his wand. Eddie's parents were talking to the store owner, so Eddie occupied himself by staring at the stacks of wand boxes.

Eddie felt nervous about getting a wand. What if it didn't work? What if none of them fit because he wasn't a real wizard?

**You are a real wizard, Eddie. You performed an advanced, ancient conjuring spell.**

Yeah, Venom had a point there. If he could do that, then surely he could handle a wand meet-and-greet.

"Eddie, sweetie, come here," his mother called.

"Based on your parents' wand makeups, I have a few candidates here for you to try," the store owner explained.

Eddie picked up the first one and, sensing Venom's movement through his arm and hand, gave it a flick. Immediately, the wand split down its center, splintering into scraps of wood.

Oh, no, Eddie thought. Venom, what did you do?

**It's not my fault that the wood was weak.**

Eddie held his breath when he picked up the next wand.

**No, put that back. It's wrong.**

"Uh, this one is wrong," Eddie said, gently placing the wand back in the box without testing it at all. The owner and his parents gave him a strange look, but he ignored them as he picked up a different wand.

Venom allowed him to try this one, but the flick of this wand set fire to the rest of the potential wand matches on the counter. In fear, Eddie threw the wand into the fire and backed away until the fire was put out. He bit his lip, even more scared of his parents' disappointment than the physical destruction of the shop.

The owner gave Eddie a look of suspicion and scratched his beard in thought. "Let me try something different." A few minutes later, he came back with a single box. The store owner explained, "You're lucky: I have only one, but I think this will work."

Eddie picked up the wand.

**Yes, Eddie. This will do.**

You have to show them, Eddie thought.

**Fine.**

Heat spread across his shoulders as wind swirled around his body. Eddie smiled as his parents cheered for their son, their pride in him restored.

"Yew wood, thirteen and three quarters of an inch, very flexible" the store owner described. He gave Eddie a knowing look before finishing. "A Thestral-hair core."

* * *

The train ride was long, but Eddie kept himself amused by thinking back to the look on his cousins' faces when they saw him on the train platform. One of the girls tried to be nice by offering him one of her chocolate frogs, but he declined and decided to sit by himself.

It wasn't long before he was seated in a boat with the other first year students, crossing the lake towards the castle. They were shuffled through the large, heavy doors, and lined up to be sorted into houses where they would stay for the next seven years.

Eddie kept waiting for someone to expose him as a fraud. Sure, he got a letter to Hogwarts. Yes, he was able to get a wand. But he knew the Sorting Hat wasn't human. If there were to be a moment of truth, this would be it.

**I'm not human either, Eddie.**

That's true, Eddie thought. After spending so much time with his new companion, Eddie couldn't help but feel a little trust in the demon.

With the last name of Brock, Eddie didn't have to wait long for his turn. At the sound of his name, he stepped up to the stool. The large hat was placed over his head.

"Another Brock heir?" the Sorting Hat asked rhetorically in a voice audible only to Eddie. "A family of Hufflepuffs, that is."

Eddie nodded. He already knew that his family was full of Hufflepuffs. On the way to the train station, his parents had each described their sorting moments. In fact, they had met when his mother knew the password for the Common Room that his father had forgotten.

**We really won't fit in there.**

"What's this? Oh, you have played with some very dark magic, haven't you, Mister Brock?" the Sorting Hat continued. "Now, if we take your companion into account…"

"No, don't worry about that. Just sort  _me_!" Eddie whispered.

"Oh, but it can't be ignored. This will be with you throughout your entire journey at Hogwarts, Mister Brock," the Sorting Hat said wisely.

Venom, I'm supposed to be in Hufflepuff like the rest of my family, Eddie thought.

**We're not like your family, Eddie: we're much more powerful.**

"…Yes, that's it," the Sorting Hat concluded. It paused before declaring, "SLYTHERIN!"

Eddie was stunned. He looked down to see the gray in his robes wash away, replaced by green. He stood up and walked over to the Slytherin table where the older students were cheering for their newest recruit.

**See, Eddie? They're happy to have you.**

Okay, maybe this isn't so bad, Eddie thought. At least he got to be sorted at all.

It was then that the reality of the situation really sunk in: he made it. Eddie Brock had found his own magic; he was on his way to being one of the most powerful wizards in his family. He had Venom, and no one could take that away from him.


	2. It's A Deal

Although he had been surrounded by all things magical for his entire life, everything about Hogwarts felt new and exciting. Without his parents around, he was experiencing life in a different way. He could eat more dessert than vegetables if he wanted to, and he could stay up late if he wasn't tired. Eddie was even learning to fly on a broomstick like his older cousins.

Of course, there were some things that he couldn't do if it weren't for Venom, like his Transfiguration homework.

" _Ad stylus_ ," Eddie said, tapping the small wooden block in front of him. When it failed to turn into a quill for what felt like the hundredth time, Eddie groaned. He threw his wand down on his desk, pushed his chair back, and got up to flop onto his bed. It was late, and he was tired and frustrated. Knowing that the room was currently empty, he stared at the ceiling and asked aloud, "Why isn't this working? What's wrong?"

**You're not saying it correctly. It's '** _**Ad stylum** _ **'.**

"What!" Eddie exclaimed in disbelief and annoyance. "I've been doing this for, like, an hour! Do you even  _need_  me to say it right? You know what I want it to do!"

**You need to learn it. You don't want others to be skeptical of you when your spells work even when the spell is wrong, do you?**

Eddie scowled and rolled onto his side. "Whatever, I'm taking a break."

**That's fine. Eddie, how about we talk about our contract now?**

"Our contract?"

**Yes. As you can see from our time before school and this past week of classes, I've upheld my end of our deal.**

Eddie nodded as if Venom was sitting in his desk chair and not inside his head. Truthfully, he had forgotten that this was a two-way agreement, but what could he possibly give to a powerful, dark demon? He was just a kid, one that didn't even have magic.

**You have legs and a means for movement.**

"Where do you want to go?" Eddie thought, unsure about where this was going.

**The Forbidden Forest.**

"What, why?!"

**Similar to how your body needs food, I need a source of energy.**

Eddie frowned. After a few beats of silence, he asked, "What if I don't do this?"

**Eddie Brock, we have a contract. Without my magic, you're just a possessed boy who performed illegal magic to lie to a community only for them to see right through your deceit.**

Heat flared up across Eddie's shoulders, so he knew Venom was angry. Eddie didn't want to think about living without magic back with his parents. He didn't even know what sort of consequences would follow. "Okay, okay, I'll go. What are we looking for?"

**Get to the forest, and I'll lead you.**

* * *

Sneaking through the castle at night was heart-pounding, but Eddie managed to remain unseen. Following Venom's directions, Eddie slipped outside via a hidden door by the kitchen. Then he pulled the hood of his cloak up and began sprinting towards the forest.

The forest was too dark for Eddie to see clearly. He slowed to a walk. Twigs snapped and strange noises echoed against the thick trees as he traveled further into the darkness.

"Whe-where do I go?" Eddie whispered, his voice shaking in fear. Students weren't supposed to be here, especially not first years. "I-I can't really see."

**Your wand, Eddie.**

The boy hurried to pull his wand out of his back pocket. He gripped it tightly.

_**Lumos** _ **.**

" _Lumos_ ," Eddie repeated. Quickly, warmth spread through his arm and down his fingertips. Eddie squinted against the bright light that immediately shone from the tip of the wand. Once his eyes adjusted, he mumbled a short "thanks" and continued walking.

**Turn right.**

Eddie stopped. He turned and continued walking.

**Left.**

Again without question, Eddie turned on his heels and kept walking.

He followed Venom's directions until they were on the edge of a small clearing.

**Lower your wand and approach one slowly.**

Approach one of  _what_  slowly, a tree? Eddie thought.

**You don't see them? Of course you wouldn't.**

Eddie swore that Venom groaned, as frustrated with Eddie's misunderstanding as Eddie had been with his homework. "What am I supposed to see? Why can't I see them?"

**Thestrals, Eddie. They're a tricky thing with humans. Only those who know and understand death are allowed to see them.**

The name jogged the boy's memory: his wand had a thestral hair core. Eddie asked, "What should I do?"

**Don't bother moving closer. Point your wand straight ahead. A little to the left. Good. Hold it steady.**

Eddie still wasn't sure what the Thestral was for. It was some magical creature, but did Venom want him to carry it somewhere? How big were these things anyway? Did they have some connection to the demon world? Was there such thing as a 'demon world'?

**Quiet.**

"I wasn't talking!" Eddie whispered

**Your thoughts are too noisy.**

When he focused his mind enough on his wand, Venom pushed their power through, and a brilliant green beam shot forward from the tip of the wand. Eddie winced and turned his head away as the flash of green cast shadows all around him. From the darkness animals stormed away as one cried out in pain. And then, just as quickly as it started, it was over.

Eddie raised his wand when it returned to the yellow-ish glow. "What did you do?"

**Walk forward.**

Eddie did as he was told. He stopped when his foot hit something. One of the animals?

**Yes. Now kneel.**

Eddie knelt down and sat on his heels, holding his wand at his side. Venom hadn't demanded like this before, so Eddie didn't dare question the demon.

**This might feel uncomfortable.**

The young boy didn't have a chance to respond before the temperature around him dropped suddenly, causing him to shake in the cold. He felt his chest being pulled apart. Eddie looked down at his chest to find the source of the pain: a black fluid was phasing out of his chest, moving to cover his body. The fluid was warm like Venom's magic, and it crept across his human skin. His vision grew blurry as the blackness enveloped his head.

When clarity returned, Eddie could no longer feel his arms or legs. Unable to speak, Eddie started to panic.

Venom, what happened? Eddie thought.

**You're safe with me, Eddie.**

Venom didn't elaborate, and soon Eddie felt himself being carried around. When he felt himself looking down at the ground at a winged horse-like thing, it clicked in Eddie's brain. Before, he wasn't able to see the thestral. Now he could, and it was because he was seeing it through Venom's eyes. They had switched places.

Eddie didn't know that could happen.

Eddie watched from a first-person point of view as Venom bent over the dead creature. The demon slurped its black blood, draining the body. Thankfully for Eddie, he couldn't taste the liquid that Venom was consuming; however, he couldn't prevent himself from watching as they moved around the thestral, splitting the flesh with their claw-like hands. He felt the warmth that surrounded his body become warmer as the minutes ticked by.

Soon, the creature was fully drained and Venom was satisfied.

Are we done? Eddie thought.

He didn't want to hear the sound of Venom licking anymore. The memory of the innocent, dead thestral was enough. Sure, the creature didn't belong to the prettiest species in the world, but Eddie felt guilty. Because he brought Venom into the physical world, it was his fault that the poor thing was dead.

**Yes, Eddie, thank you. Let me get us back to the castle.**

When Venom stood, Eddie realized how large the demon was. Eddie felt like he was standing on stilts, but their movements weren't clunky at all. With Venom now fully renewed, they were pounding through the forest, leaping over fallen logs with ease and swinging around massive trees without slowing down. At the edge of the forest, at first Eddie thought their massive form would be noticed but then he saw how well they blended into the shadows. To make them even less visible, Venom moved with such speed across the ground that it almost felt like flying to Eddie.

At the back door to the kitchen once again, Eddie felt himself becoming colder. Venom was receding.

Fully in control, Eddie shook his arms and legs just so he could feel them again. He took a few deep breaths to settle his mind in order to creep silently through the dark halls.

Back in his bed, Eddie's mind was reeling. While his roommates slept, he was on his side, curled into a ball and wide awake.

You used a killing curse, Eddie analyzed.

**It's a useful one to know.** _**Avada Kedavra** _ **.**

You didn't even ask me first. That one is unforgivable, Eddie thought.

**It's my magic. I'll do what I want.**

Eddie was horrified. He felt so out-of-control. He wanted to be powerful, but he didn't want to kill things.

**I won't kill humans if you uphold your end of our contract.**

So this was their contract: Venom would serve Eddie as long as the demon could use the boy to gain power. It was a terrible experience for Eddie, but he would do it for magic.

As long as no one noticed, it would be fine.


	3. Who's Who at Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Eddie is used to Venom, let's add some characters!

"Before class tomorrow, read the next section of your textbook on Muggle transportation," the professor said. "Class dismissed."

Eddie grinned at the homework assignment as he slid his books into his backpack. After a couple weeks, he decided that Muggle Studies was his favorite class. Although he wasn't exactly a Muggle, he felt a connection to the non-magical people. They seemed to have accomplished so much and all without magic!

Having left the classroom, Eddie walked down the hallway towards the Slytherin common room. He was at the top of the staircase that led into the dungeons when he was roughly grabbed from behind and shoved back against a wall.

"What the‒!" Eddie yelped as he fell to the floor. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked up at his attackers: one of his older cousins ‒Tyler‒ and his friends.

"Hey, Ed-weird," Tyler called. "How's it feel being the snake of the family?"

"Whattya want, Ty?" Eddie asked miserably. He just wanted the confrontation to be over.

"Depends," Tyler said, rubbing his chin as if he were thinking deeply. "What do you have?"

"Empty your pockets, squib," one of the other boys demanded.

"I-I'm not a squib!" Eddie corrected. "I have magic, too!"

"Look, weirdo, I don't know how you did it, but I know you're living some sort of lie. You don't just get magic overnight," Tyler said. "Now how about you hand over your coins and candies to  _real_  wizards?"

"No! Leave me alone!" Eddie shouted, pressing himself against the wall as the group closed in around him.

"C'mon, snake, don't make this harder than it needs to be," one of them demanded. At those words, all of the older students drew their wands.

Eddie pulled his own wand out of his back pocket.

Venom, please help, he thought.

Tyler sneered, "Show me some magic, squib! Go on! Give me your best spell!"

Eddie lifted his wand in front of him, but his hand shook. He had never dueled before, and he was worried about Venom overdoing it. They hadn't really laid down the rules for dealing with human opponents.

**A simple one:** _**Expelliarmus** _ **.**

"He can't do it!" One of the boys hollered, causing the group to erupt in vicious laughter.

" _Expelliarmus_!"

Eddie flinched hard as the boys' jeering stopped short. The hallway fell silent except for the sound of Tyler's wand rolling along the stone floor.

Wait, I didn't do that, Eddie thought.

"Get out of here!" The  _expelliarmus_ -voice demanded.

"I know you," Tyler said, turning to face the newcomer. "You're Thor's brother. Do all family misfits have some sort of loyalty to each other around here?"

"My name isn't 'Thor's brother': it's Loki," Loki said angrily. "But if you don't get away, I'll make sure he and his friends take you guys on at the next dueling tournament."

"I'm not getting on that kid's bad side," One of the boys mumbled. "We can find the squib again later, Tyler."

"Fine," Tyler agreed. Over his shoulder, he threatened, "Don't think you're off the hook, Ed-weird. I'll prove that you don't belong in Hogwarts  _or_  in our family."

He picked up his wand, and the group shuffled away. Meanwhile, Loki approached Eddie and held out a hand to help him off the floor.

"On your way to the Common Room?" Loki asked when Eddie was standing again.

Eddie nodded. Taking note of his rescuer's green robes, he replied, "Yeah, I guess you're going there, too?"

"Mhm."

"I'm Eddie, by the way. Eddie Brock."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eddie Brock. My name's Loki Odinson."

Eddie's eyes widened. He knew that last name from some business relations that his father had done in the past. But really, he was sure that everyone in the wizarding world knew that last name. The Odinsons were a powerful family whose magic could be traced back for centuries. It was said that they descended from some sort of royalty. Eddie frowned slightly when he thought about the first impression he just made. Needing to be saved didn't exactly boost his image.

"What year are you? I didn't know there were two Odinsons at Hogwarts now," Eddie asked, curious but trying to keep his voice casual as they walked down to the dungeons.

"I'm a third year, and my brother Thor is a sixth year," Loki explained. "Those boys were family members of yours?"

**I wouldn't call it 'family'.**

But he  _is_  family, Eddie thought. Venom sounded angry to Eddie, and he wasn't sure why. Is the demon mad that Loki saved them before Venom could do the spell?

"Oh, yeah the kid you disarmed is my older cousin." Eddie paused before deciding to explain fully. He hadn't really made a lot of friends, and he was grateful for the chance to open up about his situation ‒well,  _some_  of his situation. "My family has a lineage of Hufflepuffs. I think I'm the first Slytherin ever in the Brock family."

Loki nodded thoughtfully, softening up to the boy he had saved. "You know, I'm the only Slytherin in my family, too. Thor's a Gryffindor, and he's clearly my father's favorite." Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head in obvious disapproval.

"You really scared my cousin and his friends at the threat of him though," Eddie remembered. "Is he not really all that strong?"

"Oh, no, he is a genuinely powerful wizard," Loki admitted with a firm nod. "Of course, he could probably do better in school if he actually opened a book for once in his life, but he prefers to rely on 'pure, natural talent'." He emphasized his brother's wording with air quotes and scowled. "You know, he calls me a nerd for caring to study for my classes, but he's friends with, like, the nerdiest Ravenclaws in the whole school."

The idea of accidentally running into some particularly brilliant Ravenclaws did not sit well with Eddie. If even just one person knew that he was a fake, things would get tricky; and if anyone could deduce his situation, he was sure it would be a Ravenclaw. Eddie probed without shame, "Who's that?"

"The Ravenclaws? Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. I'm sure you've heard of Howard Stark, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I know who that is." Of course, Eddie knew Howard Stark. The man had been a wizarding genius who invented all sorts of really powerful spells and potions. Eddie didn't personally know any of the spells since they were combative spells, but‒

**I know those spells, Eddie. All you need to do is ask.**

No, they're supposed to be really dangerous, Eddie scolded. He didn't even want to know the words for those spells.

"Well, his son Tony is a seventh year now. Banner's really impressive, too. He's a sixth year, and he's already created some of his own potions. He's like a muggle-born prodigy or something. And those are always together."

"Really?"

"Yeah, some people think they're actually a couple."

"Are they?"

Loki laughed. "How should I know?" Then, turning to the entrance to the Common Room, he declared the password, leading them into the room.

Before splitting up, Eddie said one last time, "Thanks for your help, Loki."

"Sure thing. You know, if you ever need help with your homework or whatever, you can ask me, okay?" Loki looked down at the floor. "It's tough being on your own here, and if anyone would understand that, I think I would."

**You're not alone, Eddie.**

Ignoring the voice in his head, Eddie swallowed before nodding with slightly too much enthusiasm. "Okay, thanks!"


End file.
